Sponsored by: Highmark
Charity: Western Pennsylvania Caring Foundation
Fossil Location: Station Square, Bessemer Court (2009) map ] [ directions to ]
Auction Price: $3000
Materials:
Steel, coal, acid etching
Theme: The fossil fuels which drove Pittsburgh industry
 
 
 

Fossil Fuels About the Design
Evan Gealy: "In thinking about dinosaurs and Pittsburgh, I came upon an interesting connection. When dinosaurs died out, their bodies (as well as plants and such from the period) lay underground for millions of years becoming fossil fuels such as natural gas and coal. Pittsburgh's own history owes a debt of gratitude to these ancient beasts, because the steel industry that built our city was only possible through fossil fuels. Barges and trains brought the fuel into the area for use in steel mills. Now that steel is no longer Pittsburgh's main industry, old dilapidated mills remain like fossils reminding us of the past. We still see barges floating down the three rivers and trains trudgingSold! along the miles of tracks. Some still carry coke for the remaining mills, while others have been relegated to other purposes.

"These giant antiquated machines themselves seem like dinosaurs in procession toward extinction, giving way to the new evolution of Pittsburgh. I turned a Torosaurus (he just seems like a beast of burden) into a train car, modeled after the ones I have observed in Pittsburgh, full of coal. I used steel and actual coal."

About the Sponsor
Highmark, a leader in providing quality health care coverage throughout Western Pennsylvania, plays an important role in maintaining our community by creating community-based partnerships to improve health, promote healthy lifestyles, and fund programs to build a healthier region.